The Assistant
by sykron
Summary: Gilbert Beilschmidt is the heir to his family's company. Matthew Williams has the misfortune of being his assistant.
1. Chapter 1

Just a little experiment to see if I can write something that doesn't have USUK as the main pairing. Enjoy!

* * *

The Beilschmidt Company was a well-known marketing corporation in the business world. They had advertised some of the most well known products, as well as making the not so well known ones suddenly popular. Their marketing methods were one a kind, something that made them stand out in corporate society as the company that would make any product successful, no matter what that product was. The current head of the Beilschmidt Company was an expert in knowing the right ways to gain the public's attention and using it to his advantage. His ideas always seemed over the top, but were always successful. His innovative way of thinking gained him the respect of many, and had declared him the genius of the marketing world by multiple magazines, newspapers, and talk show hosts.

Gilbert Beilschmidt was an expert in his field, but he pretty much failed at everything else.

"Mr. Beilschmidt, it's time to wake up." Gilbert groaned into his pillow and stayed exactly how he was- spread about in his king-sized bed in only a pair of boxers. The owner of the voice sighed and tried once again to wake up his boss, but it was no good. Gilbert was as stubborn as mule, especially in the mornings, and it would take a lot of patience and creativity to wake the man up. Unfortunately for the sleeping man, Matthew was hired specifically for those skills.

Matthew quickly glanced at his watch, noting that there was an hour left before the meeting began, and headed straight for Gilbert's closet. He found the item he needed- a giant water gun his boss had bought for fun- and speed walked to the kitchen. Matthew filled the water gun with water from the sink and returned to Gilbert's room. The man had not switched positions at all, his bear back an easy target for Matthew. Matthew aimed the gun at his boss. "Mr. Beilschmidt, this is your last warning." Gilbert sleepily waved him away and returned to his pillow. The corners of Matthew's mouth lifted up into a smirk. "Suit yourself." Then he pulled the trigger.

"Schiebe!" Gilbert screamed, rolling off his bed in a tangle of soaked bed sheets to get away from the spray of water. Matthew bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, though he couldn't quite keep in the occasional snicker. No matter how many times he did it, he would never get tired of his boss's expression after being rudely woken up. It made waking up in the early hours of the morning much more enjoyable.

Matthew ignored the dirty glare his employer was giving him and pulled out his phone. "Good morning, Mr. Beilschmidt." He spoke formally to the man in front of him, as if he hadn't just sprayed him with water. "You have a meeting with Mr. Vargas at 10 to discuss the new project, followed by another meeting at 11:30 to discuss the expansion of the company internationally. There is also a meeting with a potential client after-"

"Yeah, yeah I got it." Gilbert grumbled. He pulled himself up and headed for the bathroom. Matthew silently followed after him. He was used to his boss's lack of excitement in the morning. Frankly, it was the best time of the day for him. His job always became increasingly more difficult when Gilbert was fully awake. And heaven help him when Gilbert felt mischievous…Matthew was still sending out gift baskets after the last time.

"Don't take too long." Matthew told him. "You have a meeting at 10, remember?"

Gilbert shrugged and swung open the bathroom door. "I told you I got it." The look he sent Matthew sent shivers down his spine. "But if you're so worried I'm going to be late, why don't you join me in the bath, _Mattie_."

Matthew gave him a deadpanned look before lifting the water gun up to his boss's face and pulling the trigger again.

Gilbert flipped him off and was able to slam the door shut before Matthew decided to throw the plastic toy at him.

* * *

Once the meeting with Lovino Vargas had ended, Gilbert went straight to his office. His tie was loosened and his shoes were off before the door had a chance to close. He flopped onto the couch ungracefully, letting out a loud sigh. Lovino Vargas, though quite a good acquaintance of his, had the unfortunate ability of being able to drain Gilbert's energy. He didn't know the cause of it, though he had a sinking suspicion that the head of the Vargas Company did it on purpose at times to make his life difficult. Of course Gilbert always returned the favor, always managing to make Lovino frustrated within the first five minutes of their meeting, but it was taxing to return cleverly hidden insults behind seemingly polite words and business talk.

Gilbert closed his eyes and tried his best to fall asleep before his personal assistant found out he was here. He knew it was only a matter of minutes, however, before Matthew found him. The blond had a knack for knowing where Gilbert was at all times- which was a bit creepy in his opinion but efficient. If he was honest, he was actually impressed Matthew could be so organized, especially with a boss like Gilbert.

Matthew Williams was an oddity to him. Though he had such a sweet- almost adorable- face, the same could not be said for his attitude. Yes, Matthew was polite and strictly professional most of the times but was quite the aggressive individual when he wanted to be. Gilbert would never forget the time he had decided to skip a meeting to get a beer. Matthew had found him in record time and had, literally, dragged him by his tie all the way to the conference room.

His previous personal assistants would have never even thought of doing that to him. They would have just let him be and anxiously explain to the other members of the meeting that he was running late, or some other typical excuse, in fear of Gilbert firing them. Matthew didn't care whether or not Gilbert cursed him out or fired him, and would do whatever was necessary to get him to where he needed to be. He was intelligent, strong, fierce, and had a cute face- everything Gilbert liked in a man.

It was such a shame he couldn't sleep with his assistant.

It wasn't because of the boss-employee relationship they had. Frankly, Gilbert didn't give a fuck about that. He had his fair share of relations within the workspace, much to his brother's disapproval. No, the reason he didn't dare make a move was because the man was taken. Horribly, and completely in love with some French guy Matthew had vaguely talked about only a few times. Gilbert could still vividly remember the way Matthew's eyes softened into adoration, his lips curling into a smile, as he mentioned his lover. Not that he would ever admit it out loud, but that expression made him feel as if a knife had stabbed his heart. He had inkling as to why, but he didn't really feel like delving into his feelings more than that. He had a company to run. Emotions like the ones he occasionally felt around his assistant would only hinder its success.

So he locked those feelings away, only allowing his lust to appear ever so often by harmless flirting. Matthew never took him seriously anyway. He would flush red sometimes, yes, but never would he respond with flirtations of his own. His assistant was loyal to his partner, and that made Gilbert just like him even more.

He fell asleep a bit after that thought, his arm resting on his face so as to cover his eyes. He was deep in sleep by the time someone briefly knocked on his door before it opened. Matthew walked in, his eyes instantly going towards the couch, and silently closed the door behind him. He made his way to the small closet on the far side of the room and retrieved a blanket. Gently, he covered his boss with it and smiled when Gilbert unconsciously rolled to the side, the blanket bunched up in his hands as if it were a teddy bear.

Matthew took his phone out, did a few calculations in his head, and decided Gilbert deserved a thirty-minute nap.

He made his way to leave the room, but then decided against it. Instead, he sat at the edge of the couch where Gilbert's legs were and began to play a game on his phone. Five minutes in, he got bored and put it away. He spent the remaining twenty-five minutes staring at his boss's ever changing expression. If it weren't for the alarm he placed on his phone earlier, he would have likely spent more than a few hours doing so.

* * *

"Mattie!" Gilbert tugged on his assistant's sleeve like a child. "Please get me out of this!"

"I can't." Matthew repeated for the tenth time in a row. He was beginning to grow annoyed with his boss's constant nagging and was close to smacking him silly. "You already said you would attend. If you had told me last week, I may have found a way but three hours before the dinner? Even I can't do that Mr. Beilschmidt."

Gilbert was invited to attend a dinner party in Manhattan. Though it was not in his style to attend, as Matthew knew very well from experience, he had uncharacteristically agreed to it without a fight. He would not tell Matthew why, but he had a guess.

Elizabeta Hedevary. She was a powerful CEO to a company overseas specializing in technology (he only knew that because she was his brother's main competitor). From what he could piece together from Gilbert's weekly drunken confessions, he and Elizabeta had attended school together since they were kids, and began dating when they turned seventeen. They had dated for years, most of it from two different continents, until a few years ago. Matthew did not know the details, but he could tell their breakup had been messy and bitter. The distant look in his boss's eyes when something _just_ the wrong shade of green entered his field of vision told him enough.

Despite that, Gilbert had decided to attend the dinner he knew she was going to be at. He had acted as his normal, berating self about it- _Mattie call my tailor, I want to look more awesome than everyone there _and _Mattie I'm not backing out, schiebe, stop looking like you don't believe me!_- until he read the final list of attendees. Elizabeta was still attending but she was bringing a guest.

Matthew didn't know who Roderich Edelstein was, or what he meant to his boss, but he had a pretty good guess from the dark look that passed across his face. Gilbert had crumpled the sheet in his hands, picked up his coat, and left his hotel suite. Matthew followed him for a few steps before his boss frankly told him to stay put in the coldest voice he had ever heard come from him. Matthew had been paralyzed with something he recognized as fear long enough for Gilbert to run off somewhere, probably the nearest bar.

Approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes later- Matthew had been keeping constant watch out of worry- Gilbert had knocked on his door- because the man insisted on bringing him everywhere, even on business trips- wearing a rumpled shirt, missing tie, and smelling of alcohol. He had then proceeded to wrap his arms around Matthew while mumbling about how much of a teddy bear he was.

Used to these drunken acts already, Matthew sighed and dragged his boss to the couch. After a few cups of water, Gilbert had somewhat calmed down, but had began asking (read: whining and begging) for Matthew to get him out of the dinner party in a few hours. As much as Matthew told him that it was nearly impossible to do so last minute, Gilbert was persistent. After the hundredth time he asked, Matthew snapped.

"I can't, okay?!" Matthew practically yelled, his composure finally broken. "Get that through your thick skull already! You're just going to have to go and suck it up! I'm not some miracle worker that can get you out of seeing you ex with another man!"

Gilbert froze. Though his face lowered so that his hair covered his eyes, Matthew could feel his hands trembling from their position on his arm. He inwardly cursed himself for his stupidity. He had a tendency to say what was on his mind when he grew irritated. His brother could vouch for that. That, however, was no excuse. Matthew was supposed to be the one keeping Gilbert in control, not the one breaking it. An apology was on the tip of his tongue but Gilbert beat him to it.

"I know." Gilbert's voice was low that it was practically a whisper. He gripped Matthew's arm desperately, making the blond wince. "I fucking _know_, okay? But that doesn't mean I want to see it. I don't think I can handle it. She's…_fuck_." Gilbert leaned forward and rested his head on the crook of Matthew's shoulder. Matthew stiffened at the contact but was somewhat able to relax when he felt tears stain his shirt. "_Bitte_, Matthew. I'll give you a raise or something. Hell, I'll even go to my meetings on time. Please, get me out of this."

Matthew was quiet for a long time. Then he carefully adjusted Gilbert so he could pull out his phone. "Why couldn't you be a happy drunk?" He muttered as he dialed the host's number.

Gilbert huffed out a laugh that tickled against Matthew's neck. "You would've quit a long time ago."

Matthew didn't dare contemplate his boss's drunken words and began speaking to the host of the party.

* * *

Matthew should have expected for Gilbert to lose the key to his room. He would have gone down to the front desk to ask for a copy, but he was afraid of leaving Gilbert alone. Heavens know what his boss would do. It was fortunate that his boss had passed out almost immediately after Matthew informed him he no longer had to attend the party. The man was easier to move around when he was unconscious.

Matthew laid Gilbert down on the sofa and went to the bedroom. He grabbed the extra set of pillows and blankets from the bed for his boss and had even managed to place the blanket over him when his phone rang, loud and clear throughout the room. Matthew quickly reached for it and ended the call without looking at who it was. He looked at his boss and heaved a sigh of relief that the man hadn't even budged.

After making sure Gilbert was comfortable, Matthew headed to his bedroom and closed the door. He unlocked his phone to see that it was his brother who had called him. "I should've known." Matthew sighed. His brother always did have the worst timing.

Matthew sat on the bed and dialed his brother's number. He answered on the second ring. "You're so mean Matt!"

"Hi Alfred." The corners of his mouth lifted up into a smile. It had been a while since he'd talk to his brother. "What do you want?"

He could practically hear Alfred pouting. "What, no _'I'm sorry for not answering I had a thing?'_"

"I'm sorry for not answering, I had a thing."

"You ass, you don't even mean it." Alfred laughed.

"I meant some of it." Matthew's smile got wider. God he missed Alfred. "So is there a reason for calling me or is this a part of your plan to get me fired?"

"Nah, I have way better things to do than that. I have things to do, people to see, all that stuff. I barely even have time to play video games anymore Matt, that's how busy I am. Really bus-"

"Al." Matthew spoke. "You're stalling."

Alfred then proceeded to go on about a guy he had met at a charity event and how, although the guy had an instant dislike towards him, Alfred was very curious to get to know him. "He's _English_ Matt and if you hear his accent-"

"What does this have to do with me?" Though Matthew had an idea as to what his brother was thinking.

"The guy's an author, a pretty famous one apparently, and his editor is your boyfriend." Matthew should've placed a bet on this. He would've won. "Francis won't let me near him! At the party, he even dragged him away from me! And glared! Can you believe that Matt?"

"Yeah, actually." Matthew sighed. "Arthur Kirkland is Francis's childhood friend so of course he'd be overprotective, Al."

"How did you-"

"It's the only person Francis would protect from you." Matthew shrugged. He decided to omit the part that he agreed with his boyfriend. There was a reason why more than a few magazines dubbed his brother '_Player of the Year'_. "Though from what you told me, Arthur doesn't even like you. You should leave him be Alfred."

"I will when he tells me that to my face." Matthew's eye twitched. His brother's spoiled nature always showed up in times like these. What Alfred wanted, he got. This is why he chose to work for Gilbert instead of his brother. At least Gilbert admitted he was a spoiled brat. "Anyways! How's work? Should I start planning Beilschmidt's demise?"

"Work's fine." Matthew spoke. "It's nothing I can't handle."

Alfred made a sound of contemplation and then, hesitantly, said," You know, that offer to work for me is still on the table. I know you've said no before, but I worry about you Matt. Beilschmidt doesn't exactly have the best reputation."

Matthew looked in the vague direction of where Gilbert was sleeping on the sofa. He wouldn't deny that working for Gilbert was a challenge. The man was egotistical, selfish, and overall annoying. It wasn't that hard to understand why so many people had quit being his assistant. Matthew himself had considered it on more than one occasion. However, there was something about him that kept Matthew from doing so. It wasn't the paycheck or Gilbert's intelligence. It wasn't even the satisfaction of doing a job that many couldn't.

It was those rare moments when Gilbert would let his guard down and just be himself around Matthew that kept him glued to his side. Matthew didn't know why that meant so much to him- or rather, he chose to not think about it- but it just did. It was something that couldn't be named and shouldn't be. Not yet, at least.

"Sorry, Al, the answer's still the same." A smile graced his face. "I think I'll keep this job."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter was so hard to write, mostly because I kept getting stuck on certain scenes. At least I finally got it finished (and on Canada day to boot) so I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

"What?" Gilbert looked up from his computer, thinking he had heard wrong. "Repeat that again."

Matthew took a deep breath and deliberately repeated his words slower to annoy his boss. "I need to take a week off." Gilbert kept on staring at his assistant as if he had grown a second head. Matthew resisted the urge to snap at him. "We talked about this a few days ago, _sir_. My brother is going to be in town next week and he asked me to show him around. You said it was fine as long as I reminded you."

Gilbert had a vague memory of his assistant telling him that, but it was clouded by the memory of the hangover he must have had. He must have agreed to anything anyone had said that day, what with his head feeling as if it had been smashed against the sidewalk a few times, just to get people to leave him alone. Though it did explain the phone call he had received from a unknown woman asking him if he was still interested in her services- had the call not been on speaker Gilbert might have taken her up on that offer, though Matthew promptly told her that that he was not interested and rather roughly ended the call.

Nevertheless, he _had_ promised Matthew he could take a break though a part of him wanted to refuse. The idea of not seeing Matthew for a week was unpleasant to him, but who was he to tell his assistant that he couldn't show his (idiotic and immature, in his opinion) brother around the city? Well, he was his boss but he wasn't a _mean_ boss (to some, at least). So, swallowing the urge to say no, Gilbert forced a grin on his face. "Alright, you can have next week off."

"Really?" Matthew looked at him questioningly. "You're not going to make a fuss?"

"You haven't taken a vacation in a while." Gilbert shrugged. "I think you deserve it. _But,_" He grinned wickedly at his assistant, "Just because you won't be here doesn't mean I'll behave. Get ready to be sending out gift baskets for _months_ after you come back, Mattie."

The look of pure horror on Matthew's face was priceless.

* * *

Due to the fear he had induced into his assistant, Matthew had come back to work the next day with a glint in his eye that Gilbert had long learned to be afraid of. Before he could react, Matthew placed a briefcase on his desk and opened it in one fluid motion. Gilbert would have been impressed had he not seen the amount of paperwork inside that was, most likely, going to need his signature. "These need your revisions and signature of approval by the end of the day, sir."

Gilbert gawked at him. "You mean all of these? By today?" He gestured to the large stack of papers. Matthew nodded and took out his phone.

"By six in the afternoon would be preferable. You have a seven-thirty reservation at _Luce del Sole_ with Lovino Vargas-"

"Wait," Gilbert's head was reeling. He could feel the beginning of a headache just under his right temple. "I thought that wasn't until _next _week."

"I moved it up. Along with all your appointments for next week."

"Without my permission, Williams?" Gilbert had stood up at this point, his eyes practically glaring daggers at his assistant. He gave a lot of freebies to Matthew, but redoing his entire schedule was something that he couldn't let slide easily, despite the feelings he may have for him. "Last time I checked, you're supposed to be following my orders not your own."

"I'm supposed to be doing what's best for the CEO of the Beilschmidt Company, and I am." Matthew stated calmly. His eyes didn't waver from Gilbert's own and even had the audacity to glare back. It was at moments like this, when he showed a side to him that wasn't proper or business-like, that Gilbert wondered if Matthew was ever worried of getting fired (though he knew he would never have the heart to do that, not to him of all people).

"And how is playing around with my schedule _helping_ me?" Gilbert spat. "What, am I not trustworthy enough for you? You think I can't handle things on my own? Do you think I depend that much on you, Williams?" Perhaps he was overreacting to the situation, but he really didn't give a fuck. He knew why Matthew had gone and changed everything- his assistant didn't believe him capable of doing his work without someone supervising him. He would think that working with each other for two years would have developed some trust between them. Gilbert, on his part, trusted Matthew with more things than he cared to admit. He had only hoped that Matthew felt a fragment of what he wanted him to feel- because even a friendship between them was pushing his limits; Gilbert didn't know how would handle having Matthew that close but unable to touch.

However, the look in Matthew's eyes said it all, and it hurt Gilbert more than anything he could have said out loud.

It took a minute for Gilbert to stop his fists from trembling and it took another to stop the urge to laugh uncontrollably. Ironically, staring at the amount of paperwork helped to calm him down from jumping over his desk and punching and or kissing Matthew in the face. He took one more moment to take in a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes. Much to his chagrin he now had a headache, which was getting increasingly worse the more he thought about the current situation.

"I'm done thinking about this." He muttered, shaking the unnecessary thoughts from his head. He looked at his assistant, now with his usual impassive expression on, with a poker face of his own. "I'll do all the necessary work this week and go to all the meetings, but if you ever attempt something like this again Williams," Gilbert forced himself to say the words. "I will fire you on the spot. Are we clear?"

Something flashed in Matthew's eyes, but Gilbert was still seething that he didn't bother to try to identify it. "Yes, Mr. Beilschmidt."

* * *

The next few days passed by as Gilbert expected them to be- hell. He was doing double or triple the work as usual and having an average of three to four meetings a day with different clients. There were even times where he had to take his work home, where it would be finished in the early hours of the morning. Gilbert was tired, both in the physical and mental sense, and he was beginning to look forward to the day Matthew's vacation started. Unfortunately for him, that was still two days away and he was very close to ripping his hair out.

That was why Gilbert, in a desperate attempt to release all his stress, half-assed his last meeting of the day and rushed out of the room before Matthew could realize he was gone. He practically sprinted to the elevator and pulled his phone out once the doors had shut. He needed a drink or ten, so he called his usual drinking buddy Matthias the day before to set something up. Matthias had told him to meet him at the usual bar- an old-fashioned looking bar with the best beer Gilbert had ever tasted in the states- after he finished his shift at the fire department.

Gilbert texted him to ask if he was finished and grinned when his friend responded that he had.

_Awesome_. _I'll be there in ten._

* * *

"Gil!" Matthias waved at his friend the second he had stepped through the door. Gilbert grinned and headed over to where Matthias was seated with a pitcher of cold beer. "It's good to see you, man!" Matthias clapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to sit. "It's been forever since we've had a drink together! I was starting to think you found other people to get smashed with."

Gilbert laughed. "Please, not everyone can handle my awesome self when I drink. You're lucky I deem you worthy enough." Matthias scoffed but didn't comment. He could drink just as many drinks as Gilbert could and they both knew it. It had gotten them kicked out of multiple establishments in the past, especially when the two decided to compete to see who could drink the most and still walk in a straight line without toppling over. That's what Gilbert liked about Matthias- the guy had no limits when it came to drinking. "Let's get this party started!" Gilbert reached out for a glass but stopped when he noticed there were three. He stared at Matthias in confusion. "Three glasses?"

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot." Matthias laughed sheepishly. "I invited a friend of mine. He's been real stressed out with this book he's writing- apparently his editor is evil incarnate or something so I thought a drink would help."

Gilbert frowned, but before he could say anything he heard the door slam open, attracting multiple people's attention to the panting man slamming the door closed as fast as he could. The entire bar was silent for a moment before Matthias stood up and waved at the stranger. "Hey Arthur, you're late!"

"Terribly sorry." The man-Arthur- said sarcastically. "I'll be sure to run faster from the French next time so I won't be tardy."

"Your editor?" Matthias guessed. Arthur practically slumped into his chair and grabbed a glass and filled it to the brim with beer.

"That frog is absolutely the worst! I swear if he says one more thing about gourmet food I'll-!" That's when Arthur noticed Gilbert staring at him. "Ah- hello." Arthur blinked. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Arthur Kirkland." Arthur extended a hand out to Gilbert.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt at your service." Gilbert continued to stare at Arthur or, more specifically, at his eyebrows. They seemed familiar somehow. "So, you hate your editor?"

"Yes." Arthur responded so fast that it surprised Gilbert. "Francis Bonnefoy may be considered one of the best but in actuality he is-"

"Wait, _Francis Bonnefoy?_" That was Matthew's boyfriend. " He's your editor? And you hate him?"

"Yes." Arthur was beginning to look annoyed. "Do you know him?"

Gilbert once again stared at Arthur and then at Matthias, who was grinning from ear to ear as he emptied his second drink. "I hate his guts, too." Arthur instantly perked up at this.

"Oh? I'm glad to finally meet someone with common sense then." Arthur lifted his glass towards him and smirked. "Cheers to hating the frog?"

Gilbert grinned and clinked his glass against Arthur's. He had a feeling that they would become very good friends.

* * *

After parking the car in the parking lot, Matthew took a sip of his coffee and checked his phone. Normally he would arrive at his boss's penthouse at nine or ten in the morning, depending on the amount of work Gilbert had to do that day. This entire week had been no exception- Matthew had woken his boss up at nine, ignoring the curses and glares he received from a half-asleep Gilbert, and somehow managed to get his boss to do every single thing Matthew had pushed on him.

So it was a bit odd for him to arrive at his boss' place at noon.

It was the final day of what Gilbert had dubbed "hell week" and it was a relief to not only him but to Matthew as well. The entire week was filled with a heavy tension that Matthew had never felt before in the presence of his boss. Yes, he had seen Gilbert act cold and merciless to others but never to him. It made Matthew feel even guiltier of his actions than he had already. He could realize his own mistakes- he shouldn't have let paranoia and Gilbert's teasing get to him- but that didn't help with the nagging guilt in his chest every time Gilbert had to take work home or when he would arrive with dark circles under his eyes as if he had stayed up late finishing the work Matthew had brought on him.

The worst part of it all was probably that Gilbert had not once looked him in the eye since everything began, and that made him feel shittier than everything combined. Gilbert could hold grudges longer than his brother could, a feat that was both impressive and annoying. If Matthew didn't do something to be back in his boss' graces, then the threat of losing his job would become a reality (he dare not think of how he felt when Gilbert had threatened him with that; he'd rather not remember the way his chest felt as if it was physically stabbed).

Matthew had spent all week trying to figure out the best way to apologize to his boss but had no clue as to how until yesterday night, when a bartender called him and told him to come pick up Gilbert. He was used to picking up a drunken Gilbert, it happened at least once a week after all, but it had come to a surprise to see Arthur there as well. He had thought the author was in London finishing up his novel, that's what Francis had told him anyway, but that was apparently not the case. Arthur, for some odd reason, was standing on a table with Gilbert and Matthias laughing and singing. All three of them were so obviously smashed that Matthew couldn't help but pity them for the hangovers they would have the next day. That was when he realized just how he could get back on his boss' good side. He had never been gladder for his boss' drunken antics until that moment.

Matthew took the elevator up to Gilbert's suite and used his key to go inside, carefully rearranging the items in his arms as he did. As expected, the place was as messy as it always was despite a maid coming in three times a week. He placed the bag he was carrying and his cup of coffee on the kitchen table and checked up on his boss. Gilbert was sprawled in his bed in the most undignified way possible, with one leg hanging off the bed and half of his blanket on the floor. It was a hilarious sight to see that Matthew couldn't help but chuckle.

"Fick dich auch." Gilbert groaned, grabbing a stray pillow and placing it over of his head to drown everything out.

Matthew rolled his eyes but didn't comment. Instead he stepped into the room and stopped a few steps away from his boss' bed. "I brought coffee." He lifted up his right arm to show the Styrofoam cup in his hands.

Gilbert peeked one bloodshot eye from the pillow and looked at him suspiciously. "Black?"

"Yes, sir."

"Bring it here."

Matthew silently obeyed and carefully placed the cup in his boss' hands. Gilbert took a large gulp of it, ignoring how hot it was, and nodded. "Danke, Williams. This makes me feel less shittier than I already do."

"You're welcome." Matthew said. "About your schedule for today…"He had to cut himself off to stop himself from smiling at the look on Gilbert's face. "Your brother has agreed to attend today's meetings in your place and promises to give you a detailed account of everything."

"Really?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch?"

"He said it was an early birthday present." Matthew lied. Actually, it had taken him forever to make Ludwig agree to going to Gilbert's meetings and even then the younger Beilschmidt had only said yes because his partner, Feliciano, had convinced him. "He also said to stop drinking on the weekdays." Ludwig had said more than that, but his boss didn't need to know about the lecture his brother would give him after everything was through.

Gilbert continued to stare at him before shrugging and taking another gulp of his coffee. "I don't know how you managed to do that, but thanks. Stupid hangover. You think you can get some breakfast from that diner a block away?"

"Already did." This time Matthew allowed himself to smile. "I've been working with you for years Mr. Beilschmidt. I would be a bad assistant if I didn't know what your favorite hangover meal is."

At this Gilbert laughed but it turned into a hiss of pain. "Schiebe, don't make me laugh right now Williams. Did you bring aspirin too?" Matthew nodded. Gilbert whistled. "Remind me how'd I ever got a badass assistant like you to work for me?"

"I was the only one who showed up to the interview."

"Haha, very funny. " Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Now go get me my pills and breakfast, Mattie."

It had been days since Gilbert had called him _Mattie_ so it shocked him to hear it after what felt like an eternity. He didn't know why, but it felt good to hear it again. He couldn't help but smile in relief that his relationship was Gilbert was slowly going back to how it used to be. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"You're half-forgiven Mattie." Gilbert said after he had finished the breakfast his assistant brought him. Matthew looked over at him in confusion.

"Half-forgiven?"

"For giving me hell this week." Gilbert clarified. Just because he had a hangover, one that was slowly fading away, didn't mean he couldn't figure out what Matthew was doing. Matthew was too prideful to apologize to him directly, so the breakfast and coffee were his way of saying _'I fucked up and I'm sorry'_. It was a good way to apologize in his books, though it wouldn't completely do the trick. Matthew had to suffer at least a bit more before Gilbert would fully forgive him.

Matthew gave him a look of disbelief. "I'm only half-forgiven, sir?"

"Let me remind you that you changed my entire schedule without my permission to satisfy your own needs, Williams." Matthew looked away. Gilbert bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. "You need to do one more thing to make me completely forgive you."

"And what's that?" Matthew raised an eyebrow, curious as to what his boss could possibly want. The possibilities were endless when it came to Gilbert. There was a reason he had inherited the CEO position from his grandfather after all.

Gilbert took a moment to contemplate what he wanted. His first thought, much to his shock, was _'go on a date with me_' but it was rejected for obvious reasons. He decided to go with something he had always wanted, but Matthew's professionalism had always gotten in the way of. "From now on you have to call me by my first name. No more of that Mr. Beilschmidt crap."

Matthew looked at him as if he was insane." Mr. Beilschmidt, that's unprofessional-"

"You've known me for years Mattie. You think I give a fuck about professionalism?" Matthew opened his mouth to retort but Gilbert didn't let him. "Besides, we're practically friends at this point so it's cool if you call me Gilbert. Or Gil. Mr. Awesome would be fine too-"

"Okay, fine!" Matthew sighed. "Gilbert it is, but only when no one's around."

"Awesome." Gilbert grinned. He mentally fist-pumped at the fact that Matthew hadn't denied the fact they were friends. His day was getting better and better. "You're now completely forgiven Mattie."

Matthew scoffed, but he didn't hide the amusement in his eyes.

* * *

Gilbert had convinced him- though it was more like forced- to stay and watch a few movies on his flat screen. Most of them were comedies but every now and then Gilbert would pop in an adventure movie that Matthew ended up liking so much that he planned on buying the movies for his own entertainment. Along with the popcorn, chips, and large amounts of soda, Matthew had genuinely enjoyed the movie marathon with his boss. It felt like they were friends (though Matthew had mixed feelings about that; he never did like mixing his work and personal life).

He left Gilbert's suite hours later with a smile on his face that only grew wider when Gilbert shouted _'See you in a week Mattie! And tell your brother that he's still not as awesome as me and never will be!' _

That smile was still plastered on his face once he reached his apartment. As he placed the key into the lock, he idly wondered why Gilbert could always put a smile on his face, unintentional or not. Perhaps it was a perk of being around his boss for too long, but Matthew didn't really bother to delve into that thought further. Gilbert was a fun and interesting boss-and friend now, he supposed- that had a knack for making him smi-

"_Bonjour, mon amour!_" A warm pair of arms circled around his waist as a kiss was placed lovingly on his cheek. "I've missed you so much, Mathieu!"

Matthew's eyes widened as his mind slowly registered what was happening. When he did, his mind blocked all thoughts of his boss as he embraced his lover tightly. "I've missed you too, Francis."

* * *

A few extra things:  
- Luce del Sol is the restaurant that Lovino and Feliciano opened up together. Lovino handles the business side while Feliciano cooks. It's a really popular restaurant, but Lovino seeks Gilbert's advice on advertising it to make it even more successful.

-Arthur is currently hiding from his editor because he gets writer's block every time Francis speaks. He's also hiding from a certain America who keeps distracting him from his work, which is why he decided to hang out with Matthias for a few days without anyone knowing (of course that idea sort of backfired when Matthew saw him).

-I couldn't resist having Matthias (Denmark) as a firefighter because I'd thought he'd be perfect for it.

-As for the people wondering whether this fic will be prucan: yes, I'm planning on having those two end up together :)


End file.
